The Seattle Community Council Federation welcomes guests and representatives from community-based organizations in the Seattle area. We want to be aware of issues affecting your neighborhood, and we hope that you will join us with your input at our monthly meetings at Central Area Senior Center, 500 30th Avenue South.
Jeannie Hale, Chair; Rick Barrett, Vice-Chair

Should Seattle require Lobbyists and their Employers to file reports with the Ethics and Elections Commission? Is it time for Independent Oversight of Biosafety Laboratories in Seattle?

Transparency in government means providing as much information as possible to citizens on how city government makes decisions. There is now a proposal from Councilmember Nick Licata to require lobbyist registration and reporting. Other cities require reporting. Is this the direction Seattle should take? Learn the details from Newell Aldrich, Councilmember Licata’s legislative assistant.

Seattle got a wake-up call three years ago when the University of Washington campus in the center of the city was temporarily proposed as the site for a Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, a large-scale high-security facility requiring biocontainment to study disease-causing agents. One result was public awareness of biosafety laboratories already operating within the city. There are no provisions in place for the protection of human health that govern the siting of such laboratories. There are inadequate provisions governing the operations of such labs. Learn about the proposal for independent oversight of Seattle Biosafety Laboratories from those who drafted the proposed regulations.

NOAA is a federal facility on high security alert, so attendees must enter by the security gate and may need to present photo ID. If you haven't attended a recent Federation meeting, please send your name, contact information, and address to rickbarrett@gmail.com to be added to the entry list. No e-mail? Call 206-365-1267. The building is ADA compliant, with ample parking in front.

These highlights are based on the editor's notes --- they are not official minutes)

President's Report:

The Federation sent letters to government officials after our November meeting:

• to support funding for the Central Area Senior Center;

• to support continued funding for the Wallingford Senior Center;

• to ask the City Council to follow its established policies and standards for rezones rather than make a "legislative" change to the Northgate Overlay over a wide area in order to accommodate a Safeway store at a precise location in Pinehurst;

• to ask election officials to require readable type in the Notice of Elections published in Seattle newspapers rather than continue using tiny print that requires a magnifying class to read;

• to ask the Port of Seattle to return Christmas trees to the Sea-Tac Airport;

• to call for an independent staff responsible to the Port Commission in light of the performance audit by the State Auditor;

• to support HB 1551 before the 2008 legislature allowing public funding for local political campaigns .

Seattle Port Commission:

Geof Logan (Fremont) spoke at the Port Commission hearing on January 8th on the performance audit of the Port by the State Auditor finding gross irregularities. He supported a recommendation that the Port Commission have staff to ensure that it gets accurate, objective and verifiable information. Currently the Port Commission hires two people: its own clerk and the Executive Director. The Executive Director hires and fires all others and filters all information going to the Commission. As shown by the Audit, the Port's activities are so vast that the Commission needs staff, directly responsible to it, in order to get an independent perspective; to verify reports; to follow-up on whistleblower type complaints; and to get information that the Executive Director may deem unimportant, overlook, secrete, or not know.

First United Methodist Church:

Marietta Foubert (Ballard) has been monitoring the efforts to preserve the historic First Methodist Church Sanctuary Building at 811 5th Avenue. Daniels Development Company has replaced Nitze-Stagen as the developer; and the Rainier Club has withdrawn its participation. The new developer is proposing departures from the City's guidelines and the earlier Master Use Permit.

Northgate Overlay/Pinehurst Update:

Rick Barrett (Haller Lake) and David Miller (Maple Leaf) have been engaged with what is commonly known as 'the Pinehurst Safeway rezone'. The City Council passed the Northgate Overlay zoning code amendments proposed by the City's Department of Planning and Development as Council Bill 116066. [See President's Report]. This set a bad precedent; other property owners may seek to take advantage of it. The affected community groups are conferring on an appropriate response. More at our February meeting.

Arboretum Foundation Plan for SR 520:

Jorgen Bader (Roosevelt) reports that following up on a suggestion by the tunnel consultant in the SR 520 mediation, the Arboretum Foundation has proposed an option that would place State Route 520 below grade from an east portal at Foster Island to a west portal near the parking lot of the Museum of History and Industry. The current Arboretum Interchange would be replaced by on and off ramps at the MOHAI site, which ramps would merge with the main on and off ramps to Montlake Boulevard East. The section through the Arboretum would be tunneled, bermed, or covered. The option would reunite the Arboretum, reduce noise, restore the waterfront trail, remove the ramps to nowhere, and protect bird and fish habitat, among other advantages.Motion passed to send a letter to the City Council requesting that the Parks Committee invite the Arboretum Foundation to make a presentation on its proposal.

Thornton Creek Area Flooding:

Renee Barton (Meadowbrook) reports that to relieve chronic flooding in Meadowbrook, Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) worked up a program that would put in a large wetland detention area west of Meadowbrook pond; replace a series of culverts on Thornton Creek and Kramer Creek, a tributary; and clean storm drains. In November, SPU told the Meadowbrook Community Council it had cut back its project to cleaning the existing system. On December 3rd, the creeks flooded, Nathan Hale High School closed, NE 110th St. and 35th Ave NE were barricaded with police standing guard; and sewerage bubbled up in the basements of homes. The Mayor proposes to reinstate part of the program. Motion passed to write to City officials asking that the full program be funded and implemented.

Synthetic Turf:

Kris Fuller (Wallingford) and Rick Barrett (Haller Lake) say that Seattle Parks Department and School Districts have been engaged in an aggressive effort to replace natural grass with ‘synthetic turf’, the bureaucratic euphonism for what is sometimes called ‘plastic grass’, (a term that is not allowed in public meetings held by the City). Critics of this relatively new policy have usually been denigrated andcharacterized as zanies or luddites, but new evidence of harmful effects are emerging, including increased injuries to sports participants and long-term health consequences. Seattle government has so far turned a deaf ear to these concerns but may be forced to consider them if other municipalities take notice.The New York Times, January 23rd, carried an article captioned [New York] "City Parks Officials seek Safety Review of Synthetic Surfaces." NYC has 77 synthetic fields made of recycled rubber. Its Parks Department Has now suspended the use of rubber infill synthetic turf in parks. According to the article, "Critics said synthetic material creates 'heat islands' in the summer because the surface absorbs sunlight and emits heat...” Researchers have also found that the rubber contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)s - that may be carcinogenic." Some Synthetic Turf fields may also be nylon, and although not mentioned in the NYT, some even contain recycled Nike sports shoes, with all the above noted toxins plus microbes, bacteria and fungus.See: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/nyregion/23turf.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=synthetic+turf&st=nyt&oref=sloginFor info on “Nike Grind” fields: http://www.hispanicprwire.com/news.php?l=in&id=6029&cha=5And for more technical and medical information: http://www.precaution.org/lib/06/prn_toxins_in_synthetic_turf_rev.060921.htm

Magnuson Park:

Four North East Seattle Community Councils wrote to the City Council objecting to the proposed 20 year lease of Hanger 27 to Arena Sports LLC (a for-profit corporation) for thirty years at below market rents. Hanger 27 is now used for a variety of mixed-use community activities and events. No public process preceded the proposed agreement. Discussion continued to our February meeting.

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SEATTLE COMMUNITY COUNCIL FEDERATION
Monthly Meeting –Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013, 7 p.m.
Central Area Senior Center, 500 30th Avenue South 98144
[This beautiful facility with free parking and a grand view of Lake Washington is just three blocks east of Martin Luther King, Jr. Way S. and one block south of S. Jackson Street]
AGENDA
Gun Violence: what should government and citizens do to reduce it?
featuring Beth Flynn, Executive Director of Washington CeaseFire
Recent mass killings are only a fraction of gun deaths. In Washington state alone, nearly 6,000 people have been killed by guns in the past decade--more than died in traffic accidents. On Jan. 16, President Obama unveiled legislative proposals to reduce gun violence, and took many administrative actions toward that end.
Washington CeaseFire (http://washingtonceasefire.org) is proposing measures to reduce gun violence at the state and local level. Other states have closed the gun-show loophole, banned the sale of military-style assault weapons, limited handgun sales to one per month, carefully regulated concealed weapon permits, and banned open carrying of guns. None of those policies apply in Washington state, which ranks among the most loosely regulated states in terms of guns, and has state laws that prevent local governments from addressing gun violence.
Join us at the Jan. 22 meeting in welcoming Beth Flynn, Executive Director of Washington CeaseFire, as we discuss what government and citizens can do to reduce gun violence. Also included is our monthly Round Robin with the opportunity to share news about your neighborhood’s issues and projects. If you have informational materials to distribute at the meeting, please bring them or e-mail electronic copies or links to jeannieh@serv.net.
7:00 Introductions/Minutes /Treasurer’s Report / President’s Report
7:10 Gun violence: What should government and citizens do to reduce it?
8:15 Round Robin of issues and projects in your neighborhood
8:45 Other business
9:00 Adjourn
SCCF (http://seattlefederation.blogspot.com/) is one of the nation’s oldest and most active coalitions of community associations. It was founded in 1946 to facilitate resettlement of Seattle’s Japanese-American residents who had returned from wartime internment to reclaim their homes and businesses; and to help Black veterans coming back from the war. Over the decades, SCCF has grown to cover the entire City. Its monthly meetings are open to the public, and suggestions for agenda items are always welcome. Yearly dues for member groups are $50, and new groups are always welcome. Individual donations are also welcome, and go very far, as SCCF is all-volunteer. Please mail your check to SCCF, 2370 Yale Avenue East, Seattle, WA 98102-3310. For questions, contact treasurer Chris Leman at 206-322-5463 or cleman@oo.net.

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The non-profit Seattle Community Council Federation, perhaps the nations’ most venerable umbrella organization is dedicated to neighborhood issues. Founded in 1946 as the Jackson Street Community Council to help resettle Seattlelites of Japanese origin returning from internment camps, and to assist black veterans coming back from the war. Both groups often returned to Seattle to find their homes and businesses appropriated, local government indifferent or hostile. Over the decades the Federation has grown to cover the entire city. To learn more about how the Federation might help your neighborhood go to SeattleFederation.Blogspot.com.

The non-profit Seattle Community Council Federation, perhaps the nations’ most venerable umbrella organization is dedicated to neighborhood issues. Founded in 1946 as the Jackson Street Community Council to help resettle Seattlelites of Japanese origin returning from internment camps, and to assist black veterans coming back from the war. Both groups often returned to Seattle to find their homes and businesses appropriated, local government indifferent or hostile. Over the decades the Federation has grown to cover the entire city. To learn more about how the Federation might help your neighborhood go to SeattleFederation.Blogspot.com.

About Me

Founded in 1948, the Seattle Community Council Federation is one of the nation's oldest and most active coalitions of neighborhood groups.Yearly dues for member groups are $50.SCCF welcomes new member groups, and encourages renewal by groups whose membership in SCCF may have lapsed.Individual donations are also welcome and tax deductible, and go very far, as SCCF is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) organization.Please mail your check to SCCF, 2370 Yale Avenue East, Seattle, WA98102-3310.For questions, contact treasurer Chris Leman, (206) 322-5463, cleman@oo.net.

Seattle Community Council Federation,3425 West Laurelhurst Drive NESeattle WA 98105